The use of dish-type microwave antennas for transmitting and receiving signals between a ground location and a communications satellite is well-known. The dish antenna serves as a parabolic reflector or mirror for concentrating the energy of the microwave signal received from the satellite terminal. Typically the parabolic reflector should be of the order of 12 to 18 feet in diameter, and the parabolic shape must be held to extremely close tolerances to minimize distortion. Once the parabolic dish of the antenna is focused on the satellite, the antenna must remain focused on the satellite to maintain effective transmission and reception of the microwave signals. Thus the dish must be made very rigid and provided with a rugged mounting which permits a minimum of movement of the dish antenna due to wind loads and other external forces.
While these conditions can readily be met in a fixed ground installation, it has proved more difficult to provide a portable dish antenna which can be readily moved from location to location as part of a mobile television operation, such as is used for providing live coverage of sporting events, news events and the like. In the past, the antenna has either been directly mounted on the bed of a truck or trailer, or has been designed so that it can be set up and taken down at each location. Directly mounting the antenna on the bed of a trailer or a truck increases the likelihood that the antenna will move or vibrate during use due to external forces acting on the antenna or on the truck bed on which it is mounted. This is particularly troublesome where the equipment housing is also mounted on the truck or trailer bed. People moving around in the equipment housing plus the increased surface of the installation exposed to wind or the like causes the antenna to vibrate and move. If the antenna is to be easily assembled or mounted directly on the ground, it must be made relatively light, thus making it more difficult to anchor securely when set up.